Nuvention Energy

Turning Plastic Bags into Nanotubes for Batteries

Plastic grocery bags present a major environmental challenge. They are non-biodegradable, made from nonrenewable resources, difficult to recycle, and take hundreds of years to decompose in landfills. Argonne National Laboratory has developed a process to convert plastic bags and other plastic waste into carbon nanotubes. The process involves heating plastic materials to 700 degrees celsius in a special reactor, causing the plastic to break down. Carbon nanotubes can be formed from the decomposed plastic using a cobalt catalyst, and they can be used in a number of applications, including as anode material in lithium-ion batteries. Argonne's process is environmentally friendly and affordable. The students will be tasked with developing a scalable, sustainable business model to commercialize this breakthrough technology.

Tracking Radioactive Materials in Open Spaces

Radioactive materials present an environmental and health hazard that is not easily detectable. They can enter waste dumps in garbage trucks, contaminating the surrounding area and posing an unseen threat to human health. Radioactive materials also present a security threat, particularly in crowded public areas. To combat these problems, Argonne has developed a compact, portable system for detecting radioactive materials in open spaces, which combines a radiation detector and a video camera. The system yields radiation source position within a foot, while creating a video archive of the radioactive device, surroundings and spectra. Students will explore potential markets for the system and develop a business model to support commercialization.

Chemical Agent Detection and Identification System

Airborne chemicals can pose a serious environmental and health threat. Argonne has developed an intelligent chemical sensing system with a range of detection and identification applications. These applications can include monitoring vehicle emissions, toxic chemical identification, and gas monitoring for industry. The detection system includes a dime-sized smart sensor, onboard signal processing, and analysis capabilities - all in a portable, hand-held product. The student team will be tasked with creating a business model to commercialize this product's environmental monitoring and industrial safety capabilities.

A Framework for Estimating Emissions of Freight Transport Operations

Pablo L. Durango Cohen
Assoc. Prof. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northwestern Univ.

In recent years, corporations have shown increasing interest in measuring their environmental impacts, especially pollutant emissions. For companies with large distribution systems, emissions from transport operations constitute a significant portion of their environmental impact. Many models have been developed to estimate vehicle emissions, though the focus in research and in practice has been on automobiles, as opposed to trucks and other heavy vehicles. In addition, there is a lack of standards governing emissions reporting. Prof. Durango-Cohen has developed a rigorous, flexible, and practical framework for estimating the emissions of freight transport operations that can be implemented as an online tool. A student team will develop a business model and commercialization strategy around this Prof. D-C's idea.

Conducting and Transparent Thin Silica Films for Solar Applications

Dr. SonBinh Nguyen
Prof. of Chemistry, Northwestern University

Northwestern researchers have developed new glass technology that is electrically conductive and may be used in a range of applications including solar reflecting glass, self-cleaning windows, electrostatic charge-dissipating coatings, solar cells and sensor devices. Conductive glasses are typically prepared by metal oxide film coating using complex and expensive operations, such as magnetron sputtering or chemical vapor deposition. The investigators here have identified a simple solution-based route to fabricate stable electrically conductive thin films. Students will determine the most promising commercial applications for this technology and develop a business model and go-to-market strategy to support their value proposition.

Enhanced Rechargeable Li-Ion Batteries

Harold H. Kung
Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University

While traditional batteries are useful power sources, they also contain a multitude of heavy metals and toxic chemicals that can have detrimental effects on the environment. To help lessen the environmental impact of battery disposal, rechargeable Li-ion batteries have found wide-spread application in a number of portable electronic devices and hand-held tools. In addition, rechargeable Li-ion batteries can also be used in larger machines, including automobiles, airplanes, and other vehicles. The performance of Li-ion batteries is key to the success of these devices, and in general, Li-ion battery performance is measured by its storage capacity, working voltage, power density, cycling durability, and safety. While all of these components are important, the need for higher power densities is a fundamental issue in regards to rechargeable Li-ion batteries. To address this, Prof. Kung has developed a technology which significantly enhances the charge density of Li-ion batteries. This technology takes advantage of a new graphitic material that contains 2-dimensional defects randomly distributed within a reconstituted graphene stack at the negative electrode. This new material leads to increased power density and appears promising for a number of commercial applications. Student teams will be asked to develop a sustainable business model to commercialize this new technology.

Advanced Organic Photovoltaics for Solar Cells

Tobin J Marks
Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professor of Chemistry, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Vladimir N. Ipatieff Professor of Catalyic Chemistry, Northwestern University

In today's climate of growing energy needs and increasing environmental concern, alternatives to the use of non-renewable and polluting fossil fuels have to be investigated. One such alternative is solar energy. While solar energy is a readily available renewable energy source, major drawbacks hamper the use of photovoltaic cells for solar energy conversion. Traditional silicon- or inorganic-based photovoltaics are limited by their inherent rigidity, as well as their very high cost of production. To address this, the investigation of organic photovoltaics has exploded over the past several years. While significantly cheaper to produce, organic photovoltaic efficiencies are still not comparable to those obtained with traditional hard materials. Recently Prof. Marks addressed this by developing a novel organic photovoltaic that shows efficiencies comparable to those obtained by tradition silicion-based materials. Students will be tasked with developing a business model to commercialize this technology by exploring potential markets and novel applications.